Automatic control gate actuating mechanism for underbunker coal conveyor systems andthe like



June 24, 1958 2,840,226

JONES AUTOMATIC CONTROL GATE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR UNDERBUNKER COAL CONVEYOR SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l LIZ/12723? C O/PW/A/ 5. JONES June 1 c. s. JONES ,840,226

AUTOMATIC CONTROL GATE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR UNDERBUNKER COAL CONVEYOR SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE Flled Jan 9, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 El -l United States ce;

' AUTOMATIC CONTROL GATE ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR UNDERBUNKER :COAL CONVEYOR SYSTEMS AND THELIKE Corwin S. Jones, Titfin, Ohio, assignor to Webster Manufacturing, Inc., Titlin, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application January 9, 1957, .Serial him-633,309

'5 Claims. a ms-s4 The present invention relates tounderbunker coalconveyor systems and more particularly to an automatic actuating mechanism forthc control .gat'es ordinarily associated with such systems.

Systems of the characterwith which th'e present actuating mechanism is concerned involve in their I general organization an overhead bunker of large capacity, the bunker being dividedinto a seriesof individual bins, the bins being arranged in alignme'nt'a'nd extending "in' 'a row throughout the entire length of the bunker floor. 'T'he bins are open at their top and may jselectivelyfbe ted by the usual overbunker conveyor, ,Beneath'jthe bunker floor and likewise extending the full ile'ngththereof is an underbunker conveyor which is"adapted to" selectively receive-material from the various bins above and which, accordingly, communicates withthe various bunker or binoutlets through the me'diumJof a series of a gravity chutes, each discharging into a so-calledlthree-way hopper which has associated therewithl p'lural gate devices which may be selectively operated, first to discharge coal directly into the conveyor from'the ,bin above, Seeondly, to by-pass the coal around .the' conveyor and discharge the same for consumption at some remote lp'o'int, as'for example to a weighing scale preparatory totbe'ing fed to a stoker for the operation of a boiler or th'elike, or thirdly, to discharge the contents of the conveyor issuing from a remote point in the conveyor syste example, from another. bin .in the series;' dir'ectly into the hopper for subsequent discharge thereby tothe scene of boiler operation. By suc'h'an arrang'cmentis possible by selectivetoperation of the gate devices associated with the various hoppers to withdraw coal 'fromlany.

"One of the gate structures associated with eachhopper' is in the form of a two-way or dual-acting gat fip ihle ofreciprocable movement to selectively luncover either or two discharge openings in the'chute bottom leading from the bunker, one .opening dischargingldirectly into the upper run of the conveyor which asses rr'ansverseiy through the hopper, and the other opening discharging at a region laterally displaced from'the'conveyor seas to by-pass the latter and cause the material entering the hopper to be discharged from the hopperbottom w tliout entering the conveyor. The other gatelstriictur is of the single-acting type and is associated withaf discharge opening leading from the "lower run;of the c onveyor so that material may "be taken fromthe latter and discharged into the hopper and, in turn, discharged. here'- from for use at the boiler installation. Underbunker conveyors of the type outlined herein are usually covered and, in order to prevent piling up of the coal in the upper run of the same and consequent flooding 0f the conveyor under the influence of the static head of coal issuing from the bunker above-When th dual-acting gate is operated to admit such coal to the-conveyor emit-the I, 2,840,226 ,iPij atented .Jiine attendantidanger of rupturing the conveyor trough [or damaging the moving conveyor drag parts, a capa'city contrblfgate which operates in the manner of alevelling devicef'or strickle plate to spreadthe coal .at .aipredetermined level below the plane of the top'wallofthe con- 7 veyor trough so that the mass of coal issuing fromrthe gate will passalong thdconveyortrough atasa fedevel and a rate wellwithin the capacity of. the .conveyor to handle it. The control gate is movable between alretrzicted elevated position wherein it is out of the path .of

movement of the coal passing, therebeneath and issuing from a preceding station alonglthe conveyor run, to alowered operative position wherein its levellingaction ,is effective to maintain the coal issuing from the .feeding gate at a safe operating level asset forthabove. The present invention relates specifically to a ..novel means for automatically actuating such capacity, controlgates in .timed relation to the movement of the .feeding .gatein such a manner that the control gate will bemoved .to'lits effective .or operative position .during the initial top'ening movement of the feedinggateand, conversely, moved to its inoperative out-of-the-way position .durin glthe final closing movements of the feeding .gate. Since the .feeding gate is capable, not only .of feeding the.underbunker conveyor but also of causing the (material issuing the bunker to by-pass the co'nveylor when the gateis moved in a direction opposite to its .idirection of movement when uncovering ,the conveyor feed opening, the present invention further makes provision for retention of the control gate in its normal inoperative positionlduring such movementsv of the feeding .gate .as .do. an eater initiationor discontinuance of the feeding Dream tothe conveyor. l

The invention isnotlimited toguseinconnec tion underbunker conveyor systems and the present control gate actuating mechanism may ,b'efou n'd .usef'u with or without suitable" modification, in foundry installa ifis in connection with the movement o f sand'or'grav el; ,in mining installations for the movement ofcrushed ore or the like; in'fbituminous ior othermixing plants forlthe proportionate feeding of pulverized or .powdered..material; in. portable or stationaryinstallations.for'runloadihg railwayldurnp cars or the "like, land innumer ous installations whereincrushed or ground minerals gi:a1n,

flour, prepared 'foodstu'if and other IOOse comnimuted materials commonly handled in b'tilk are transported by conveyor means from one locationito anotheriIwith' roivi'sion being made for by-passing or diverting thenawver -the materials at some point in the system". Irrespeetive,however, of the p'articular use to which the/invention ,maybe put, the essential featuresv thereof are. at all timespreserve'd; f. 3 i

In carrying out'the principles of the p'resentinvention, there is contemplated the provision of a'novel form of linkage mechanismjwhic'h operativelyfconnects .rhe,.,du a1- actingrfeeding gate associated with a coriveyorjand itshypass. channel or pathof movement of the material with the capacity .control'fjgat'ei associated with the upperjrun offitheconveyor *infsuch .a manner, that the movements of the former are transmitted to the latter to .re ri der the I same .eifectivelduriiig the first few inches of opening movementfof the gate for conveyor feeding purposescanll torender' the gate ineffective during the la s't' few inches of closing movement of the feeding gate, and also in such a manner that movements of the gate other than those which affect such feeding of the conveyor, w nner move the control (gate from its normally inoperative or retracted position. This being among the principalobiects b'f the invention, it is a further object to provide: a linkage system for" character which is positioned'efriteriorlypf the hopper aneeenve m trough; e s operation wilt not be interfered withby thrnaterial un- 'anism is"appl ied' s'ofthat the mechanism may,1with out 'm'odificatiombe applied toconveyor casings and, hopper structures whose attachment surfaces extend at various angles from one another.

" The provision of 'a' linkage rnechanism' of'this'ftype Twhich is relatively simple in its construction, and which may, therefore, be. manufactured at a comparatively, low cost; one which isfcomprisejd got a minimum, number of 'moving parts .and which, therefore, is unlikely to get out ofJorder; one which is rugged anddurable and which,

therefore,: will withstand rough. usage; 'one which is readily applicable toexisting underbunker conveyor systems, and one which otherwise is well adapted to perform the services required of it, are further. desiderata which have been borne in mindin the production and development of the present invention.

IflWith these and other objects in view, which will become more readily apparent as ,the nature of the invention isbetter understood, the same consists of the. novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts 8 a part of this specification.

In these drawings:

Fig.1 is a fragmentary perspective view, schematic in its representation of a typical underbunker, coal conveyor "system to whichthe present gate control, mechanism has 'beenapplied;

' Fig. 2 isan enlarged sectional view taken substantially centrally through a by-pass feed hopper associated with the underbunker conveyor system of Fig. 1,. the section being taken ln'ansversely of the direction of conveyor feed; 3 Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, of the hopper and conveyor structure shown inFig. 2; and p Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line4- 4.ofFig.2. a I

Referring now to the drawings, in detail and-in particu- 'lar to Fig, 1, a fragmentary portion of .an overhead coal bunker has been'designated in its entiretyat, 10 and includestthe usual bins 12 which are, arrangedina' horizontalrow and which may be or any desired number, only two such bins being illustrated herein. 'Disposed'beneath the bunker 10 and extending the entire length thereof is an underbunker' conveyor assembly 14 of conventional including a sheet metal casing"16 (see also Fig.3) which is generally rectangular in vertical cross "section andincludes a bottomwall 18, inside and. outside therein is operatively connected to the conveyor casing 16 by means ofa gravity feed chute 40 for feeding the upper run of the conveyor, this particular discharge means constituting no part of the present invention so that further description thereof is unnecessary. The other bin 12 is shown as being connected through a flared chute 42 to the upper end of an enlarged hopper 44 through which hopper the 'conveyor assembl'y including the casing 16 extends as ,shownin Figs. 1 and 3.

The details of the hopper 44 are best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 wherein the hopper is shown as having vertical front and rear walls 46 and 48 respectively, side walls 50 and 52, anda bottom wall 54 which slopes inwardly toward a central discharge opening 56. The hopper 44 is also provided with a top-wall 58 having a central rectangular opening 60 formed therein (Figs. 2 and 4), which is bounded by an upstanding continuous flange 62 by means of which the interior of the hoppercommunicates with the interior, of the chute 42 thereabove.

The rectangular opening 60 is adapted to be effectively closed by means of a horizontally rcciprocable or slidable feed gate member in theform of a generally rectangular plate 64 having a shallow transversely reciprocable trough-like, depression 66 formed in the medialiregions 'series of supporting rollers 70 rotatably mounted on pins 72 carried by the hopper casing side walls 52. The gate member, is movable from the normally closed position thereof illustrated in Fig. 2 whereinit underlies and effectively'closes the opening 60, in opposite directions away from the opening 30 as to uncover either end of the latter and allow coal to pass downwardly through the opening '60 and into the hopper 44. When the gate 64 moves to sidewalls 20 and 22 respectively and'a top wall24. The

16 isdivided by a horizontal partition wall,26 into conveyor instrumentalities passing along thecompartment '28and the lower or return run compartment 30.

, The conveyor proper include? the usual semblies 32, the upper run of theconveyorbeing slidably supported on the partition wall 26, and the lower run of the passing e 92? th e ,the left as viewed in Fig. the coalwillpass through the opening, 60 and downwardly through the hopper casing and bedis'charged from the latter through the lower :opening 56 for subsequent conduction to a weight scale prior to'introduction to a stoker or the like. When the gate moves to the right as viewed in this figure, the coal ,will pass through the opening 60 and enter the conveyor casing 16 for lateral passage along the upper run of the conveyor and away from the hopper. Accordingly, the

:top wall 124 of the conveyor casingis formed with an 'opening'f 74 therein (Fig. 4) in communication with a chute 76, the lpper open rim of which underlies the left band edge of the opening'60 and also underlies the left hand end of the gate 64 when the latter is in its extreme right hand open position. Thus, when the gate is moved to its extreme righthan'd open position, coal will pass by gravity through the openings 60 and 74 and be deposited in the conveyoron the'upper run thereof.

Movement of the gate 64 between its normally closed position and either of its open positions is etfected under the control of a hand wheel80 (Fig. 4) mounted ex- .teriorly of the hopper casing on a transverse shaft 82 jon'rollers" 91 serves normally to close an opening 93 prothe same being slidably supported onthe bottom wal118.

Transverse drag bars or flights 34'extend' across the link assemblies 32 in spaced relation and constitute the principal coal-impelling members of conveyor assembly 14. of the bins 12 associated with the bunker 10 iyidedfinthe bottom wall 18 of the conveyor casing 16 within. the, hopper 44 so that upon opening thereof the contents of the lower run of the conveyor may be discharged into 'the hopper. The gate 89 represents an incidental disclosure in no way connected with the presmay be arrangedto feed only the conveyor. 14, as for .ex-

ample the left hand bin shown in Fig. 1 and alternate bins in the series thereafter. Others ofrthe bins may be adapted to feedthe conveyor and also, alternatively, toby-pass the conveyor and feed the material to a boiler, installation or 4 em invention... J

. T'Referringnow to Figs. 3 and 4, immediately behind each or the hoppers 44 in the underbunker conveyor sys ftem the direction ,of travel of the upper run of the conveyor, *theconveyor casing16 is provided with a closed hood portion 90 within which there is disposed a capacity control, gate "assembly such as has been desigated;inits; e 1 itj,r,ety at, 92, the gate assembly operating and move inj' a horizontal plane *iegiohfrembiermm the pin, thus leaving {the controlfg'a'te assembly 92" in the *opera'tiveposition which it assumes during-the firstfew inchesjof feed gate travel. 1 i r Upon closing of the feed gate 64 under the control of the hand wheel' tltl, movement of the gate to the. right as viewed in Fig 2 will notfafiect the control gate structure until s'nch' time as the finger-120 again passes overthe pin andcomes into contact withthe elevated pin 140;: At this time the plate.130will be swung in'a counterclockwise direction' so as; reverse the direction of movement 'of the various linkage mechanism instrumentalities and thus cause'thefstrickle plate 100 to-be swung in a counterclockwise direction and thus elevated out of the path of movement of coal passing'a'long the upper. run

of the"'conveyor anddwhich be derived from a' previous deposition of materialin the "conveyorat 'aregion 'in advance ofthe'hopper44.

' ,When'the feed gate is moved in a direction to open the feed opening 60 directly into the hopper for discharge thereby through the opening 56, i.. e.,when the "gateismoved to the left as viewed in, Fig. 2, the finger 120 will initially engagethe pin 1 40 and swing the triangular plate 130 in a counterclockwisedirection thus,

lowering jthe pin'140 and, elevating the pin 142, Such movement of the plate will'transmit clockwisemotion to "ihelowerbell crank assembly12 6 through the medium of 'the link 128 so that thelink 129 will be elevated and cause counterclockwise movement of the operating lever and its associated strickle plate 100. This latterplate,

being alreadyelevated to an inoperative position within thehood 40, will thus be further elevated without functioninsofar. as movement of the coal through the conveyor casing 16 in the vicinity of the mechanism 92 is concerned. Continued movement of the gate 64 to theleft will cause the finger 120 to move horizontally away fromthe pin 140 to a remote region. Upon return or closing'movemen: of the gate 64 by movement to the right, the finger '120will engage "the pin'lfl as the gate approaches its closed position beneath the feed opening 60 and restore the plate 130 to itsnormal position and operate the linkage mechanism to restore the control gate structureto its normal inoperative position as shown in dotted lines i It should be observed that, due to the, specific nature of theilinkage mechanism 122; the controlgatewillbe "moved from its elevated inoperative position to its lowered advanced operative position during the first few inches of travel of the feed gate 64 to the left as viewed in Fig. 2. Conversely, the control gate will be moved from its operative lowered positionto its inoperative'elevated position duringthe lastfew inches of closing travel of the feed gate as the same moves to the'rightQ By such an arrangement, thereis no opportunity for the conveyor casing to become flooded before the capacity'control "gate path which is not necessarily parallel to the axis of turning movementof the control gate. a t p r In compliance with iTitle 3S, U. S.;Code, Section 22, apreferred embodiment of the invention has been shown in thetaccompanyingdrawings and described herein, but it should be understood that 5 theinvention is not tocbe limited tothe exactvarrangement of parts disclosed and 'thatvarious changes in the details of construction may .be resorted to without departing-from thespirit of the invention Only insofar. as the inventio'n-has particularly 8 t been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to' be limited. '1 r a 'l 1' Q I-Iaving thus ;described the inventionwhat I claim as new and desireto-secure by Letters Patent is:

1.,In an apparatus'for handling loose comminuted or other materials commonly handled in bulk, in combination, a-bin having a bottom wall provided'with" an elongated openingtherein for the discharge by gravity of the material therethrough, a horizontally reciprocable feed gate selectively movable in opposite directions between an intermediate central closed position wherein it comfpletely closes said opening and two laterally displaced op'en 'positions wherein different regions of the opening -areuncovered for selective feeding of thematerial-through the opening at horizontally displaced regions therealong, a conveyor extending beneath said opening and having a trough-like bottom, side walls and an open top in vertical register with one of said displaced regions, a conveyor 'proper having" an upper run supported on said trough bottom and movable therealong in one direction for conveying the material discharged from said opening at said latter displaced region along the casing, a capacity control gate including a strickle plate pivoted within the casing in the path of movement of the material discharged into the casing through said opening, said plate being capable of swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a lowered operative position wherein it limits the flow of material therebencath and an elevated position wherein it is out of the path of movement of the material passing along the casing, a bellcrank lever positioned exteriorly of the casing for swinging movement about a fixed horizontal axis normal'to the directiontof reciprocating movement of the feed gate and having a pair of spaced actuating pins mounted on one arm thereof on opposite sides of avertical plane passing through said axis, a camfinger mounted on said feed gate and movable bodily therewith, said finger normally being disposed between said actuating pins when the feed gate is in its closed position with one of said pins being disposed in the path of movement of the'finger when the feed gate moves in one direction of opening movement and with the other pin being disposed in,the path of movement of the finger when the feed gate moves in the other direction of opening movement, a second bell crank. lever mounted for swinging movement about a fixed axis normal to the direction of movement of said feed gate, a link connecting the other arm of said first mentioned bell crank lever to one arm of the second bell crank lever, and a linkconnecting the other arm of said's econd bell crank lever to said operating lever. I V n s '2. In an apparatus'for handling loose comminuted or other materials commonly handled in bulk, the combination set forth in claim 1 wherein saidlast mentioned link is of the eyelet type having its ends loosely connected to the operating lever.

3. 'In an apparatus for handling loose comminuted or other materials commonly handled in bulk, in combination, a bin having a bottom wall provided with an elongated opening therein for the discharge by gravity of the material therethrough, a horizontally reciprocable feed gate selectively movable in opposite directions between an intermediate central closed position wherein it completely closes said opening and two laterally displaced open positions wherein different regions of the opening are uncovered for selective feeding of the material through the opening at horizontally displaced regions therealong, a conveyor extending beneath said opening and having a trough-like bottom, side walls and an open top in vertical register with one of said displaced regions, a conveyor proper having an upper run supported on said trough bottom and movable thercalong in one direction forconveying the material discharged'from' said opening at said latter displaced region along thecasing, a capacity control gate including a strickle plate pivoted within the casing in the path of movement of the material discharged into the casing through said opening, said plate being capable of swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a lowered operative position wherein it limits the flow of material therebeneath and an elevated position wherein it is out of the path of movement of the material passing along the casing, a depending cam finger mounted on said feed gate and movable bodily therewith, a bell crank lever mounted for swinging movement about a fixed horizontal axis normal to the direction of reciprocation of the feed gate, an actuating pin mounted on one arm of said bell crank lever and positioned in the path of horizontal movement of the cam finger during the initial opening movement of the feed gate in a direction to uncover said latter displaced region of the feed opening, a second bell crank lever mounted for swinging movement about a fixed axis normal to the direction of movement of the feed gate, a link connecting the other arm of said first bell crank lever to one arm of the second bell crank lever, and means including a link operatively connecting the other arm of the second bell crank lever and said strickle plate.

4. In an apparatus for handling loose comminuted or other materials commonly handled in bulk, the combination set forth in claim 3 including, additionally, a catch pin mounted on said one arm of the first bell crank lever and spaced from the actuating pin, said catch finger being normally positioned in the path of return closing movement of the feed gate.

5. In an apparatus for handling loose comminuted or other materials commonly handled in bulk, in combination, a bin having a bottom wall provided with an elongated opening therein for the discharge by gravity of the material therethrough, a horizontally reciprocable feed gate selectively movable in opposite directions between an intermediate central closed position wherein it completely closes said opening and two laterally displaced open positions wherein diiferent regions of the opening are uncovered for selective feeding of the material through the opening at horizontally displaced regions therealong, a conveyor extending beneath said opening and having a trough-like bottom, side walls and an open top in vertical register with one of said displaced regions, a conveyor proper having an upper run supported on said trough bottom and movable therealong in one direction for con- 10 veying the material discharged from said opening at said latter displaced region along the casing, a capacity control gate including a strickle plate pivoted within the casing in the path of movement of the material discharged into the casing through said opening, said plate being capable of swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a lowered operative position wherein it limits the flow of material therebeneath and an elevated position wherein it is out of the path of movement of the material passing along the casing, an operating lever positioned exteriorly of the casing and operatively connected to the strickle plate for swinging movement in unison therewith, a bell crank lever mounted for swinging movement about a fixed horizontal axis normal to the direction of reciprocating movement of the feed gate, a cam finger mounted on said feed gate and movable bodily therewith, a pair of spaced abutments on one arm of said bell crank lever and normally straddling the cam finger when the feed gate is in its closed position, said abutments being positioned on opposite sides of the vertical plane passing through said fixed axis whereby horizontal travel of the feed gate in one direction away from its closed position will cause the finger to engage one abutment and lower the elevation thereof so that the finger may trip over said abutment and move away therefrom and to elevate the other abutment, and whereby horizontal travel of the feed gate in the other direction away from its closed position will cause the finger to engage the other abutment and lower the elevation thereof so that the finger may trip over said latter abutment and move away therefrom and to elevate said one abutment, a second bell crank lever mounted for swinging movement about a fixed axis parallel to said first mentioned axis, a link connecting the other arm of said first mentioned bell crank lever to one arm of the second bell cranklever, and a link connecting the other arm of said second bell crank lever to said operating lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,389,566 Thomas Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,219 Germany Feb. 28, 1920 

